Orn passed through the doorway nearly running into a goblin. The monster stood staring at the suddenly opened door in confusion. Not waiting for the goblin to realize what was happening, Orn drove the knife toward its face. The blade struck fast and was pulled from his fingers as the goblin fell backwards. Orn muttered a curse, and rushed away leaving the knife behind.

Kao led him across the clearing around the hut and into the woods. From behind, he could hear the muffled thuds of goblins jumping off the roof.

“This way,” Kao said, pointing to his right.

He ran with all he had. Behind him he could hear clicking and hissing as goblins crashed through the underbrush behind him. He ignored them focusing on Kao, as she lead him down a winding path through the woods. Orn quickly abandoned trying to keep a sense of direction, just following where Kao led. He did not know how she was choosing the path, but he trusted her completely.

“Three of them are gaining on you,” Kao said glancing back a few moments later. “You will have to fight them. I will tell you when to turn.”

Orn nodded, drawing his knife and fumbling in his bag for the other scavenged knife while he ran. He heard the sound of goblins crashing through the woods getting louder. Come on, where are you? He felt the handle of the knife with his fingertip, There!

“Your left… NOW!” Kao yelled, causing Orn to spin.

He slashed with his hunting knife, and managed to pull the scavenged knife out just in time to stab awkwardly with it. The goblin staggered back, with a cut deep across its belly from the hunting knife. The other knife missed it completely, but the slash across its middle was enough to send it rolling on the ground clutching at its middle.

“Left!” Again Orn spun to face the goblin rushing toward him. It stepped into his reach just as he thrust forward with the kitchen knife. It sank deep into the goblin’s chest and the creature fell with a wet gurgling noise taking the knife with it. Not again!

Kao did not need to announce the third goblin as it raced straight for Orn over the body of the second. It raised its clawed hand to strike, only for Orn’s hunting knife to come down hard on its head. The creature yelped falling backwards, pawing at its bleeding face.

Orn jumped backwards, out of the creature’s reach as it flailed about.

He considered grabbing the scavenged knife, but Kao’s words made him discard the thought. “More are coming!”

Orn immediately gave up on recovering the knife, and followed after Kao.

…

[In the temple, a kingdom away]

It was a good day. The sermon went well, and everything is now quiet. The head priest strolled back to his room and saw his meal and a steaming cup of tea waited for him at his desk. Taking his seat he lifted the cup and felt the honeyed tea soothing a throat sore from a day of sermons. He leaned back in his chair closing his eyes, content that everything was as it should be.

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The moment of serenity was shattered by a loud screeching sound. Jumping from his chair and spilling his tea he searched for the source of the sound. He struggled to understand what was happening as the noise seemed to come from everywhere at once. As he turned to the wall behind him a slight red glow was reflected back at him. Slowly his attention was drawn downwards. The jeweled key at his hip pulsed angrily. NO, No No no....

The cup fell from numb fingers and he ran toward the library. The hidden room holding the prophets’ words was being forced open. I cannot let that happen.

…

The head librarian was pacing anxiously at the top of the stairs when he arrived. “What is going on?”

At his question the older man turned toward him and bowed slightly. “Chief priest, I do not know. The keys summoned me, but the stairs are blocked at the bottom.”

He rushed for the stairs pushing the old fool aside. The stairs are blocked and he is just standing around? A conspiracy is clearly afoot, to steal my position. I will not let that happen. I control which of the prophets’ words are read!

The red light from the glowing keys at his hip cast ominous shadows as he flew down the narrow stairwell. On the bottom steps a pair of the librarian’s juniors were idly pushing against a bookcase blocking the opening.

He was about to yell at them for not throwing themselves bodily at it, when he heard the sounds of people rushing down the steps behind him. He turned to see a group of temple guards drawn by the commotion. They froze when they saw him.

“What are you waiting for, permission? Get this out of the way!” He yelled at the men who threw themselves at the shelf, barely allowing the junior librarians time to squeeze themselves against the walls and out of the way.

…

[Lac POV]

She waited in the darkness watching the men finally manage to push the shelf over. The first of them scrambled over the piled junk, and waited for a lantern to be passed from the men behind him.

Looking around with the lantern he yelled, “What the hell happened down here!”

The librarian and head priest clambered over the shelving after the man. “What are you? Merciful goddess, what happened?”

Lac laughed as the men stared at the wall of books blocking their path, frantically searching for a way past them. I was going to punish him for taking so long on this, but watching these fools running around like chickens with their heads cut off is fantastic.

…

Eventually they gave up trying to find a way in, and ignoring the objections of the head librarian, knocked over a shelf. Lac laughed harder as they saw another standing just beyond the fallen one. The head priest looked like a vein in his head was going to burst. I will admit it. I was wrong. This was a perfect use of his time.

Lac kept laughing as them men began to argue, wasting time debating if it was better to keep knocking over shelves or search the maze.

…

[Olrich]

As Olrich pulled himself slowly out of the murky depths of unconsciousness, he heard a loud crash.

What? He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. Did it not work? Did I pass out?

He heard muffled yelling and struggled to get his numb, leaden limbs to move. Olrich pushed through the waves of pain that came with moving, refusing to give in to the fear he would not make it in time. I am on the goddesses’ path, and my cause righteous. I must not stop. I cannot fail.

Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he lifted the iron pry-bar, setting it against the lock. Throwing his weight forward, he felt tension through the bar.

Another crash echoed in the library. I cannot fail now. Not when I am so close!

The bar shifted as the screws holding the lock suddenly gave. The sudden release caused him to stumble forward and into the still shut door with a great deal of force. Olrich was winded and fell to his knees as his weight threw the door open.

Around him, he could see the holy light glowing from shelves filled with the words of the prophets. He was momentarily dumbstruck, unable to move in the face of so much holy light.

Olrich flinched at the sound of voices grew louder. They were close enough he could almost make out the words. Using the pry bar as a cane he forced himself up once more, searching for the book in his vision.